The present invention relates to a device for atomizing liquids. The invention also relates to a method for atomizing, spray cooling, and spray drying of liquids. The invention further relates to a method for producing powders from solutions, dispersions, or melts, preferably from emulsions.
P. Schmid xe2x80x9cAuslegung rotierender porxc3x6ser Zerstxc3xa4ubungskxc3x6rper,xe2x80x9d Verfahrenstechnik 8 (1974) No. 7 provides a basic description of the utilization of a hollow cylinder with a plurality of circular hole-type nozzles.
One object of the present invention is to provide a device for atomizing liquids.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for atomizing, spray cooling, and spray drying of liquids.
A further object of the present invention is a method for producing powders from solutions, dispersions, or melts, preferably from emulsions.
One embodiment of the present invention is a device for atomizing liquids which has:
a) a rotatable apparatus for the reception of liquids to be atomized, the apparatus is defined by a cylinder having an interior chamber that runs the length of the cylinder with an internal diameter of about 10 to about 25 millimeters, the cylinder has an upper end with an opening into the interior chamber, which opening is adapted to receive liquids to be atomized, the cylinder has a closed lower end that terminates with a floor, the outer surface of the cylinder is defined by an outer casing having a plurality of circular hole-type nozzles extending up about 20 to about 120 millimeters from the lower end of the cylinder in an axial direction, the hole-type nozzles are in fluid communication with the interior chamber for introducing the liquid to be atomized into the nozzles; and
b) a drive operably connected to the cylinder for rotating the hollow cylinder.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a device for the atomizing liquids which has:
a) a rotatable apparatus for the reception of liquids to be atomized, the apparatus is defined by a cylinder having an interior chamber that runs the length of the cylinder, the cylinder has an upper end with an opening into the interior chamber, which opening is adapted to receive liquids to be atomized, the cylinder has a closed lower end that terminates with a floor, the outer surface of the cylinder is defined by an outer casing having a plurality of circular hole-type nozzles, the hole-type nozzles are in fluid communication with the interior chamber introducing the liquid to be atomized into the nozzles;
b) a feed conduit having an outer side wall surface and an inner conduit surface, the feed conduit adapted to be disposed within the interior chamber of the cylinder along an axis of rotation of the cylinder, the feed conduit having (a) an upper end with an inlet through which liquids to be atomized are introduced into the interior chamber of the cylinder, the inlet being attached to the opening of the hollow cylinder and thereby to the source of the liquid to be atomized, and (b) a lower end with an outlet for the atomized liquid wherein the inlet and the outlet are in fluid communication, the lower end of the feed conduit disposed within the interior chamber such that the distance between the outlet and the interior chamber floor is less than the distance between the outlet and the opening to the interior chamber; and
c) a drive operably connected to the cylinder for rotating the hollow cylinder.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of the type set forth above with which technically desirable throughputs during the process of atomizing liquids can be obtained and which thereby should operate with low wear. The structure and the dimensions of the hollow cylinder and of the circular hole-type nozzles in its casing are selected in such a way that a uniform distribution of the liquid and its temperature in the aforementioned circular hole-type nozzles is obtained and that the circular hole-type nozzles have a negligible tendency to get clogged. Furthermore, the hollow cylinder of the present invention is easy to mount and dismount and the cleaning of the hollow cylinder as well as of the circular hole-type nozzles is easy.
A further embodiment of the present invention is a method for spray cooling or spray drying of a liquid having the following steps:
a) introducing the liquid into a device which has:
i) a rotatable apparatus for the reception of liquids to be atomized, the apparatus is defined by a cylinder having an interior chamber that runs the length of the cylinder with an internal diameter of about 10 to about 25 millimeters, the cylinder has an upper end with an opening into the interior chamber, which opening is adapted to receive liquids to be atomized, the cylinder has a closed lower end that terminates with a floor, the outer surface of the cylinder is defined by an outer casing having a plurality of circular hole-type nozzles extending up about 20 to about 120 millimeters from the lower end of the cylinder in an axial direction, the hole-type nozzles are in fluid communication with the interior chamber for introducing the liquid to be atomized into the nozzles and
ii) a drive operably connected to the cylinder for rotating the hollow cylinder; and
b) spraying the liquid through the nozzles by rotating the cylinder and causing the liquid to be atomized.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for spray cooling or spray drying of a liquid having the following steps:
a) introducing the liquid into a device which has:
i) a rotatable apparatus for the reception of liquids to be atomized, the apparatus is defined by a cylinder having an interior chamber that runs the length of the cylinder, the cylinder has an upper end with an opening into the interior chamber, which opening is adapted to receive liquids to be atomized, the cylinder has a closed lower end that terminates with a floor, the outer surface of the cylinder is defined by an outer casing having a plurality of circular hole-type nozzles, the hole-type nozzles are in fluid communication with the interior chamber for introducing the liquid to be atomized into the nozzles,
ii) a feed conduit having an outer side wall surface and an inner conduit surface, the feed conduit adapted to be disposed within the interior chamber of the cylinder along an axis of rotation of the cylinder, the feed conduit having (a) an upper end with an inlet through which liquids to be atomized are introduced into the interior chamber of the cylinder, the inlet being attached to the opening of the hollow cylinder and thereby to the source of the liquid to be atomized, and (b) a lower end with an outlet for the atomized liquid wherein the inlet and the outlet are in fluid communication, the lower end of the feed conduit disposed within the interior chamber such that the distance between the outlet and the interior chamber floor is less than the distance between the outlet and the opening to the interior chamber, and
iii) a drive operably connected to the cylinder for rotating the hollow cylinder; and
b) spraying the liquid through the nozzles by rotating the cylinder and causing the liquid to be atomized.
A further embodiment of the present invention is a method of producing powders from solutions, dispersions, emulsions, or melts having the following steps:
a) introducing a solution, dispersion, emulsion, or melt into a device which has:
i) a rotatable apparatus for the reception of liquids to be atomized, the apparatus is defined by a cylinder having an interior chamber that runs the length of the cylinder with an internal diameter of about 10 to about 25 millimeters, the cylinder has an upper end with an opening into the interior chamber, which opening is adapted to receive liquids to be atomized, the cylinder has a closed lower end that terminates with a floor, the outer surface of the cylinder is defined by an outer casing having a plurality of circular hole-type nozzles extending up about 20 to about 120 millimeters from the lower end of the cylinder in an axial direction, the hole-type nozzles are in fluid communication with the interior chamber for introducing the liquid to be atomized into the nozzles and
ii) a drive operably connected to the cylinder for rotating the hollow cylinder; and
b) rotating the cylinder to atomize the solution, dispersion, emulsion, or melt.